Sunday 10 March 2013

Homemade

I dropped a few ‘hints’ to my daughter last night about it being Mother’s Day today. These consisted of handing her some paper, a pack of felt tips and saying, clearly and concisely: “If you’re going to make me a Mother’s Day card, you’d better do it now.”

Impressively, she decided to look for a suitable design on the internet that she could print out and colour in. It took her a while to decide. (I know this because of the pile of THIRTY-FIVE discarded sheets of paper printouts of assorted vaguely Mother’s Day-related colouring pictures).

I overheard her trying to persuade her brother to ‘sign’ the finished article yesterday.

“Daniel, you do like Mummy, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do like Mummy.”
“Then help me make a Mother’s Day card.”
Pause.
“No, I don’t really like her.”

I have just been presented with my card, which is a triumph. The stickers featuring streaky bacon cartoon pigs and rock chicks are particularly fetching. The notion of the Best Mother on Earth is also very flattering, if wildly inaccurate. I’m not sure I’m even the Best Mother in My House, and the other one is a fish. The postscript is a very tactful if entirely untruthful summary of the conversation above, which I can’t help but read out in a Sean Connery  accent, thanks to the spelling:

“...and Daniel shaid to me that he loves you too!”

A card, like love, is best when it's homemade.
_____

There will be a billion tweets, Faceboook status updates, and blog entries written today, of three different types. The first category will be those that say how much people love their mums. The second will be those saying how much people miss their mums. The third, and saddest, but thankfully least common, will be those saying how their mums weren’t wonderful at all.

I know a few people who will be struggling with the second option today, whose mums are no longer around to receive a bunch of ropey flowers and a homemade card, and I can only imagine what they feel. 

I know how lucky I am.  My mum, the nicest person I will ever know,  is still here. I love her from my head to my heels. 

She’s cooking me Sunday lunch. Don’t judge me.

Video is Natalie Merchant - Motherland

3 comments:

  1. I can't believe Mother Day is so early in UK ! :-O

    Here, it's in May 26th. So, much later than in UK.
    In Italy, Mother's Day is on May 13th.

    It depends then where you live ;-)

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  2. Hi Giulia - it's not even the same day every year! Its origin is Mothering Sunday, a christian festival on the 4th Sunday of Lent. It's now celebrated as Mother's Day as in the rest of the world.

    Lovely card Drakey! x

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  3. i can pull rank here.not only do i get a handmade card,with exact same tribute in exact same handwriting, i also take possession of a shop -bought one to "MUM" and one lovingly made in daycare centre to "Mother" (the best in the world ,as well).Nyaaah
    X Beth
    My cup overfloweth.....

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